Scarred for Life

by S. L. Kassidy

  Nicole nodded, having a feeling it was a story that would take much longer than one breakfast would allow. Dane went back to the food and Nicole finished getting ready. They had a normal breakfast between them, which caused the jovial feelings in Nicole to increase. It seemed like nothing was changing with their routine.

  The break in the routine that Nicole could get very used to came when Dane walked Nicole to the door. Before heading off, Nicole bid farewell to Dane with a deep kiss that left them both stunned. They stared into each other's eyes, saying things that their mouths couldn't work out. The silent messages led to another passionate kiss.

  "At this rate, I might never make it out of the house again," Nicole joked in a breathless tone and a dazed smile.

  "I wouldn't complain, but you need to go to work. So, get moving, spawn of Satan," Dane playfully ordered, gently swatting Nicole on the butt.

  Nicole giggled and did as she was commanded. She practically floated into work, not caring that she still didn't have an assistant. She was sure her workload would double as soon as her parents found out that she was out of court cases. Nothing would get the smile off of her face, though. People noticed and asked, but she didn't explain. She checked the clock on her desk and on her computer every few minutes. She was eager to get back home. Time just wasn't passing quickly enough for her. She was gifted with a surprise at noon when her phone rang.

  "Hello, Nicole Cardell speaking."

  "Great, I was looking for the sexiest woman alive."

  Nicole blushed a deep crimson. "Oh, you. I was thinking about you…all day, actually. I'm having trouble focusing on everything because of you."

  "Oh, you were thinking about me? Should I talk dirty to you now?"

  "Don't you dare. If someone came in here and saw me while you did that, they'd know just what you were saying. Besides, I want to wait a little while before we…well, before you get me all hot and bothered…" Dane was quiet, as if she wasn't sure how to respond. Nicole laughed, knowing just why silence reigned over the phone. "You're thinking perverted thoughts, aren't you, Danny?"

  "Guilty as charged. Can't be helped now that you put the thoughts in there."

  "I guess you are a big dog." Nicole hoped Danny didn't mind waiting before they slept together. She didn't want them to jump into too much too quickly out of fear that it'd somehow ruin their blossoming relationship.

  "One that would like to lick you," Dane said before she could stop herself. "Oh, damn, said that out loud. Sorry."

  Nicole chuckled. "It's fine. It's nice to be desired…" She never had a problem with being desired, but it was different with Danny. She wasn't sure why it was different, but it was one of the reasons that she wanted to wait before she was intimate with Danny. She wanted to sort all of these emotions out before she made a mistake.

  "Um…well, I called to make sure you ate lunch and everything."

  "It's not lunchtime yet, but I will. I'm going to pop it in the microwave in a little while. Is there pudding in there, too?"

  "Two. One vanilla and one chocolate." A smile could be heard in Danny's voice.

  Nicole pouted. "Did I eat all of the swirl already?"

  "Don't worry. I'll get some more from the store today. You're also out of cookies, but I'll make sure you have more of those by the time you get in."

  "You are just too good to me."

  "Somebody has to be. Don't work yourself too hard and look at those college applications," Dane commanded in a good-natured tone.

  "All right, honey. See you later tonight."

  "Okay. Oh, I wanted to tell you before…I like it when you call me honey…Well, really, I like it when you call me anything…" Dane sounded so adorably nervous.

  "Good to know, Big Dog."

  "I like that one, too, Chem."

  Nicole chuckled as they hung up. The day couldn't end soon enough for her. She practically flew out of the office as soon as she could. The people still there could hardly believe it was her; she usually didn't leave that early or that expeditiously.

  "I'm home," Nicole called as she entered the house.

  For the first time, Dane met her at the door. They crashed together with a passionate force, meeting mouths and hands. Lips pressed and moved against each other, while tongues collided and caressed each other, trying to get to know each other as thoroughly as possible. Hands wandered shoulders and backs desiring to touch more but not wanting to cross the line. They barely separated when their lungs screamed for precious air. They panted and practically shared breath.

  "Been thinking about you and wanting to be doing just that all day. So, how was your day?" Dane asked in a low voice before leaning down to place a quick peck on red lips.

  "It's looking up," Nicole said and went in for her own kiss.

  "Well, before now, how was your day?"

  Nicole glanced away, looking embarrassed. "I actually don't know. I wasn't paying much attention to anything. I just wanted to get back to you."

  Dane smiled and accepted that response. They had a semi-normal night, adding a lot of kissing and caressing. At the end of the night, Dane walked Nicole upstairs to her room. They shared a passionate embrace once again before bidding one another goodnight and going to their rooms.

  ***

  Nicole was sitting at her desk going over a contract while anticipating a call from Danny. The calls had increased since they became a couple. Strangely, Danny was the only person she had ever dated that could get away with cutting into her work time. Tyler used to try to visit her during office hours and she'd rebuke him for being unprofessional. He thought that most women liked knowing that they were on the mind of their boyfriends, even when he was supposed to be working. It never actually touched Nicole because she saw it as he was just interrupting her work.

  Other times Tyler did things that she was sure other women would have swooned over, but really bothered her. He would have flowers and balloons delivered to her office every other week. She hated it; she hated the display, hated the interruptions, hated how it seemed like a claim on her, letting everyone know that they were dating. She had never liked it when a lover did such a thing, but with Tyler it was worse because everyone at work knew who the items were from and they'd talk about it for days.

  She detested being a source of gossip, or being a mild form of entertainment, and worse were the jokes that some people dared to tell about why she would get such expensive gifts. The worst part of it was that these same people that talked about her would later be in her office pretending to admire her gifts. Then they'd beg her for help.

  Nicole knew that if Danny were to do the same thing, she'd probably think it was the sweetest thing on Earth. The gossip would probably continue no matter what, but she was sure that it wouldn't bother her. She was certain that she'd just feel wonderful and remembered like she knew the flowers were supposed to make her feel. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she hadn't told Danny repeatedly that she disliked such actions as she had with Tyler. Since Danny listened to her and recalled items that exasperated her, she wouldn't have to repeat herself over and over about it.

  Nicole was taken from her work and her thoughts as the door to her office opened. She looked up to see her father enter with a smile and carrying a box.

  "No, Daddy, no," Nicole begged.

  "Sorry, Nikki. They're from your mother. They're divided into things you need to proofread, redraft, and a court case you need to prepare for. Why haven't you hired a new assistant yet?" Raymond inquired, putting the box down on her desk.

  "I want to make sure to get the right person."

  "There's been nothing wrong with your other assistants. You allowed them to control the job instead of you controlling them. If you don't hire someone by the end of the week, I'll hire someone for you, so you can stop wasting your time on it. You need to start returning business calls, too. A few clients I recommended to you have called me complaining that you don't get back to them right away. It's unprofessional and you're better than th
at." He was chastising her and he did it in a way that she disliked. He managed to merge the fact that he was her father and her boss whenever he reprimanded her.

  "Daddy, taking a day to review my work before getting back to a client is not unprofessional." She was thorough and most people appreciated that since it almost always translated into victory in some form. She could only wonder who was whining to her father about her work.

  "It is if they complain about it. Now, you're better than this and you need to stay on the top of your game. Understood?" he demanded, glaring down at her with a hard gaze.

  "Yes, sir," Nicole muttered like a thoroughly scolded teenager. She slumped down in her chair as if trying to hide from her father.

  "And don't slouch. What if someone were to come in here and see you slouching?"

  "Yes, sir." Nicole straightened herself.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when her father left her office before eyeing her new pile of work. Her expression fell, and her desire to go home rose exponentially. She made a conscious decision that she wouldn't stay late, but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to live up to that. Danny wouldn't let her work too hard at home and she needed to get things done.

  ***

  "I'm home," Nicole called as she put down her briefcase. She placed it out of sight because she didn't want Danny to notice the bulge in the bag.

  There was no verbal response, but Dane was in the foyer almost immediately to properly greet her girlfriend. She took Nicole into a loving embrace and a passionate kiss. When she pulled away from the lawyer, she knew something was wrong.

  "What happened at work today, Chem?" Dane caressed Nicole's cheek with her hand as her other hand went around Nicole and slowly rubbed Nicole's back.

  The touch soothed much of Nicole's frustration, but there was some underlying acrimony aimed toward her parents for dominating her time. "My workload just tripled in one day, that's all. It's not the first time it's happened, but…" She bit back the fury boiling over inside of her.

  "That doesn't make it any easier to deal with. What happened?" The younger woman's voice was soft and compassionate.

  "My parents. I guess they don't think I'm busy enough and they're always recommending me to people, getting me new clients. So, now I have a big pile of work to deal with. I just want to come home to you…" Nicole whispered the last sentence.

  "Well, you're home with me right now. Let's work on unwinding you. Go upstairs and take a hot, long shower and get into your jammies. I'm going to get things ready for you to relax and start on one of your favorite dinners."

  Nicole nodded and Dane kissed her on the side of the head before releasing her. Nicole did as ordered and Dane prepared items for Nicole to relax. By the time Nicole, she could smell chicken cooking. She saw the latest book that she was reading on the coffee table in the living room with a plate of cookies and hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream waiting for her. She sat down, thinking that things were almost perfect.

  "You good now?"

  "Almost,"

  "Almost?" An ebony eyebrow arched.

  "I could use company."

  The smile Dane wore lit up the whole room. She eased down onto the sofa next to Nicole, who immediately made herself comfortable against Dane. Danny wrapped her arms around Nicole as she opened her book. Dane kissed Nicole's head and snuggled into her soft, auburn mane.

  Nicole ended up retrieving her briefcase later on to sneak in some work. She had to get it done, and it was either do it privately at home or stay late at the office. The latter really wasn't an option for her because she wanted to be with Danny. She had made it her habit to stay up late at home and carry on working to make sure that she finished everything promptly.

  Generally, Nicole was a morning person, so when she woke up, it was difficult to tell that she had been up late the previous night. Dane didn't say anything if she noticed anything about Nicole's late nights. She sent the lawyer on her way every morning with her lunch and the affection that Nicole craved.

  At work, Nicole had to deal with the fact that her father had hired an assistant that she didn't particularly like. Her assistant was a young man who leered at her in a manner that was disconcerting. She told her father about it and he brushed her off by saying, "Richard is overly qualified to work with you. Give him a chance." So, she was giving him a chance and hoped that lightning struck him so she wouldn't have to worry about firing him later.

  She settled in her office and it seemed like everyday without fail someone needed help with their work before she could get to her own. Help that apparently had to come from her. All the time.

  "How the fuck did these people make it out of grade school, let alone college and law school?" Nicole rubbed her throbbing temples. It was nearly noon and she hadn't even started her own work. Her lunch was calling her, but she decided against eating and went right into her work. She needed to get something done before her clients started calling with complaints again.

  She was interrupted when her assistant informed her that there was a "Darry" on the phone wishing to speak with her. Nicole arched an eyebrow. Who the hell is Darry?

  "Good afternoon. Nicole Cardell speaking."

  "Hey, Chem," Dane purred into the phone.

  "Danny?"

  "Who else would it be? You sound like you expected someone else."

  "No, my idiotic assistant called you Darry. I was wondering who the hell that was."

  Dane sucked her teeth. "Do they get all of your assistants from hospital trauma wards?"

  Nicole released a tired laugh. "I'm starting to believe that."

  "You don't sound too good. How you doing, baby?"

  "Better since you called."

  "That's good. You're eating lunch?"

  "I'm trying to catch up—"

  "No, no, no, that's not you eating lunch. Eat lunch. It'll help keep your energy up, which you really need. You've been falling asleep a lot earlier than usual these past few days. Hell, last night you fell asleep at eight. I'm scared you'll just pass out in your dinner soon."

  Nicole nodded as if Dane was right in front of her. Her girlfriend was right. She was ruining her sleep cycle because of all of the work. She fell asleep early now and then woke up in the middle of the night to do work. Sometimes, she took very short naps at her desk in between helping people and trying to do her own work.

  "Nick, you still there?"

  "Sorry. I was nodding in agreement. I'm getting my lunch right now."

  "Good. Try to take it easy, Chem. Come in at a decent hour, too. I don't want you to risk falling asleep behind the wheel."

  "Yes, Mom," Nicole teased and retrieved her lunch from her refrigerator.

  "If I were your mom, I'd be forcing more cases down your throat rather than trying to get you to relax."

  "That is the truth. Okay, I have my lunch out and I'm starting to eat. I'll see you at home at a decent hour."

  "Good."

  They bid each other farewell. Nicole worked, ate her lunch, and prayed that no one bothered her for the rest of the day.

  ***

  Nicole pulled into the driveway and arched an eyebrow in curiosity at the odd sight that greeted her. All of the lights were out in the house. A certain killer bike wasn't thrown haphazardly on the front porch. She wondered if Danny was gone.

  "Maybe she got angry with me for not keeping my promise…" Nicole considered. She was home late; it was almost eight.

  As she drew closer to the house, she saw an ominous glow in the hall. She opened the door and glanced around in the dark. There were candles on the floor cutting a path upstairs. Her heart rate spiked and beat loudly in her ears.

  "Oh, Danny…"

  Nicole followed the candles upstairs and they led to the bathroom. She made it to the door before everything in her stopped—including her feet and her breathing. The bathroom was covered in scented candles and Dane stood in the middle with a bouquet of flowers.

  "Welcome home," Dane said with a slightly awkward smi
le.

  "Oh, Danny, sweetheart…" Nicole rushed over and embraced her, and engulfed her in a heated kiss.

  Nicole pulled away leaving Danny in a daze. "I did good, huh?"

  "You always do, honey. Now, was your plan a bath for one or two?"

  Dane chuckled and glanced away, running her hand through her hair. "Honestly, hadn't thought that far ahead. I've never done anything like this before, so I'm really nervous. I just wanted you to relax since I know how hard you're working. I don't want you to get too stressed or unhappy."

  "I can't be unhappy if I have you to come home to," Nicole was unaware just how true it was until she said it.

  Danny actions said more than words ever would as she leaned down and kissed Nicole. The attorney moaned and melted into the taller woman, which had quickly become her habit. When they pulled away, Nicole accidentally yawned.

  "Uh-huh, boring you, am I?" Dane teased.

  "Of course not. I'm just tired. Those assholes at work—" A finger to her lips halted that sentence.

  "No, don't talk about work right now. Don't think about work. Take these flowers and then take a bath. It's hot and full of all sorts of things I never heard of, but was told, make a bath perfect. So, I'm going to go warm up dinner while you are bathing."

  "You're not going to join me?"

  "Some other time, Chem. Right now, I want to make sure you get some food in you and wash away the grime of the day. I'll take you up on that offer on a day I know you won't fall asleep on me," Dane countered with a grin.

  Nicole nodded. She would've liked for Dane to join her, though. She smiled as she sank into the hot bubble bath and thought about how she'd like to be intimate with Danny. She allowed fantasies to play in her mind as she relaxed. She considered they might stay fantasies if she couldn't stay awake for more than an hour when she was home. That night she collapsed into bed right after dinner.

  When Nicole woke, the first thing that caught her eye wasn't her work. She saw a stack of papers on her nightstand. She wouldn't have thought anything of them, but there was a note on top of the stack that she knew was from Danny. She grabbed the note.